


Tale as Old as Time

by Blondie4404



Series: Disney Maribat [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Beauty and the Beast (1991), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Maribat - Fandom, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Beauty and the Beast AU, Daminette, F/M, Maridami, No beta we die like Jason and Damian, maribat au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:08:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26465416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blondie4404/pseuds/Blondie4404
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng was a normal village girl. Except, she wasn’t. She was an odd girl. When her father goes missing during a trip, Marinette follows and discovers a castle! In freeing her father, she trades her life for his. Now she is trapped in a castle with a Beast named Damian.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne
Series: Disney Maribat [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1924237
Comments: 11
Kudos: 156





	Tale as Old as Time

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was an odd girl. While the other females in her village obsessed over Adrien Agreste, Marinette couldn't care less. Marinette had never cared for any man in the village that way. She was still kind to everyone and everything just did not like the men romantically. The strange girl was more focused on the things she enjoyed. She wanted to become a seamstress, rather than take over her father’s bakery. She still helped out and knew her way around a kitchen, it just was not what she wanted to do. 

When she was not sewing or baking, Marinette would read. The other villagers did not view reading as important, and so she was shunned for her love of books. The villagers pitied her because she was a beautiful and kind girl. Marinette had dark hair, bluebell eyes, and a button nose. Freckles dotted her small face, and she had lips the color of a rose. Her shoulder-length hair was always tied back into pigtails with pink ribbons. She was a natural beauty and was the envy of the town. 

Due to her strong personality, Marinette had no human friends outside of her papa. Tom Dupain was an odd man as well, always creating new recipes for his goods. Some were successful, others not. The one thing that set him apart from the other villagers was his belief that his wife was alive. Sabine Cheng was Marinette’s mother. She disappeared when Marinette was ten, and never returned. Tom believed that she was still alive, never giving up hope. He was often working, and as such was never able to spend much time with his teenage daughter. 

Marinette had made friends with the animals she was surrounded with. The first was a lazy cat named Plagg. He was a black cat, with green eyes. He basked in the sun until it set, then followed Marinette around the house. He was always good company.

The second animal friend was her horse Nooroo. Nooroo was a grey horse, with darker grey accents. He often got scared of things. Nooroo would calm down if Marinette was there, or his friend Trixx, a wild fox Marinette often gave scraps too. Marinette considered Trixx a friend too. 

One day, Marinette was tending to the chickens, collecting eggs, when Adrien Agreste sauntered up. He pushed open the gate without a care, not bothering to close it behind him. He was lucky that the chickens were scared of him, and did not run through the gate. The chickens fled to the henhouse. 

“Mari! How are you doing?” Adrien bellowed out.

“It’s Marinette, and I am fine Adrien. Can’t you close the coop gate behind you?” Marinette asked with false politeness. When Adrien refused, she shut the door herself, avoiding the blonde man. She finished her chores and left. Adrien followed her, talking to her while Marinette grew increasingly frustrated. She walked inside her house and shut the door in his face. She hated the egotistical man.

She scratched Plagg’s ears and went to the back to help her papa bake. She put the eggs she had collected earlier onto the counter and got to work. By the time it was done, it was time for dinner. She took some of the left-over bread from yesterday and ate it with some soup. She finished and quickly delved into her latest book.

The book she was reading was about a lost princess. She was kidnapped when she was younger, and raised by the kidnapper. She had magic healing powers through her hair, and so was kept in a tower for years. She finally escaped with a criminal, who she fell in love with. The novel ended with the girl discovering her true identity, and the kidnapper being killed for her crime. The book ended with “and they lived happily ever after.”.

“Oh Plagg,” Marinette called out to the cat lying nearby. “How nice would it be to live happily ever after? No more problems, no Adrien, and with someone I loved. A girl can dream, can’t she?” 

“Meow!” The cat replied, seemingly in agreement. Marinette laughed at the cat and put down the book. She had finished with it anyways. She would need to go to Librarian Fu’s library for more books tomorrow. 

Fu was a kind old man but was very forgetful. He lent books to Marinette all the time and was one of the few people who liked her. Marinette would not consider her a friend, as they never really talked with each other. He did give her the earrings that she always wore though. He knew that he would die soon, and would frequently give Marinette things. He had given her all sorts of family heirlooms of his. Fu was like a grandfather to Marinette, and she would miss the old man when he passed. 

Tom Dupain came home that night with some news. “Marinette! I have to go on a trip to get some more supplies from a village! The trip should take a week max, and so I will trust you to keep things going while I am gone.”

Marinette agreed to his terms and helped her papa prepare for his journey. She was worried about him and worried about what Adrien might try while he was away. However, she did not voice her concerns and instead put her energy into helping her papa. 

Tom Dupain set out later that morning, using Nooroo to pull his cart. Marinette was sad to see them go but was determined to stay on task. Heading inside, as it was early morning, she started to bake. After the first round of treats was done, she got dressed and opened up the shop. She was humming to herself when the doors opened. She turned around to see a village boy. His fiery red hair tipped Marinette of the boy’s identity. 

“Bonjour Nathaniel!” She welcomed, then inquired. “Comment allez-vous?”

“I am well, thank you. Et vous?” He replied shyly. He was one of the boys who fancied her, after all.

“I’m okay. What would you like today?” She responded, oblivious to the red-heads affections. 

“My mother sent me to get some bread. Do you have a fresh loaf of rye by chance?”

“Why yes, I just made one fresh this morning!” The dark-haired girl replied, smiling. Blushing, Nathaniel paid for the bread, thanked her, and then left. The rest of the morning went about the same way. 

Managing to complete her daily chores on top of her father’s, Marinette was exhausted by dusk. However, her day was far from over. As it was the weekend, she had a job at the tavern nearby so she could afford fabrics for her dresses. She dreaded having to go to work as Adrien and the bimbos were likely to be there. 

The bimbos, known as Lila, Chloe, and Sabrina, were pretty on the outside, but vile on the inside. Chloe was the daughter of Andre Bourgeois, a corrupt landowner that was obsessed with money. Chloe lived lavishly, at the expense of others. Andre had frequently kicked people out of their homes due to their inability to pay his expensive taxes. Lila was the daughter of a diplomat, who was always traveling to gain trade-routes to their village. She had never done a hard day’s work in her life. Everything was done for her, and she had taken to telling tall tales. Sabrina was the daughter of the village jailer, and so could do practically anything she wanted. She would never get in trouble for it anyways. They all hated Marinette. 

Marinette would work at the tavern, always leaving a polite distance with her customers. She would do her work, and not pay attention to the village gossip unless pulled in by the others. She knew enough about them to know the basic likes, dislikes, birthdays, and names of everyone in the town, but very few knew anything about Marinette. 

Adrien Agreste was another story. He was infatuated with the girl and frequently followed her around. The man was egotistical, as he had fought in a war and came back with a large fan base. He tried to get Marinette to submit to him and wed her, but she refused his advances. Rather than being deterred, he was spurred on. He would always claim that they were meant to be, giving her nicknames and making the girl uncomfortable. 

The next day was much of the same until it was dusk. Nooroo came running out of the forest, panicking. 

“Woah, woah! Calm down Nooroo!” Marinette cried out, having rushed to the horse’s aid. “What happened? Where is Papa?” 

Nooroo looked back from where he came and whined. Immediately, Marinette understood. Her father was in trouble. She quickly fled back inside and gathered up the more important things she needed. 

First, she grabbed a bag to put things in. Then, she grabbed a change of clothes, some food, some water, and her jewelry from Librarian Fu. She grabbed Plagg and a large cloak. She did not know what her journey would look like. After some thought, she also grabbed a first-aid kit. She did not know if her father was wounded after all. She climbed onto Nooroo’s back and set off. She needed to help her father. 

After a day’s journey, she came across a dark forest. It was dusk, and it already looked creepy. Marinette trudged on, wary of her surroundings. Nooroo led the way until they made it to a dark and gloomy castle. She opened the rusted gates, which creaked as they moved. Nooroo by her side, and Plagg by her feet. 

“Hello? Papa? Anyone there?” She cried out in the empty courtyard. Nobody answered.

As she looked around, she saw stone statues surrounding her. They were dark grey and in the shape of gargoyles. She accidentally kicked a stone ahead of her, which bats erupted from their hiding spots. She covered her head until they were gone, then continued to look around. She saw what looked like roses in the distance, but didn’t explore that way. If someone was here, she didn’t want to intrude.

She hooked Nooroo’s lead around a gargoyle near the door. With her cat, she walked up the large front steps to the door. She knocked twice, and then the door opened. She peered inside and saw nobody. Not phased by the darkness surrounding her, she ambled ahead, trying to make out her surroundings. She noticed a light in the distance and followed it. 

Marinette saw a staircase and started to climb. On the way, she found the source of the light. It was a candelabra, black in color, and weighted. The candelabra had cobalt accents, one resembling the shape of a bird with its wings spread. The flames were a regular golden-yellow and red, and the candlestick an off-white color. It was a gorgeous candelabra.

Picking it up, she continued upstairs. If the candelabra was lit, then there must be someone nearby. Marinette called up again, but this time she heard a voice back. It was her father!

Running the rest of the way, she was met with a dungeon in the tower. In the one that was locked, was her papa. She rushed over, falling to her knees as she stuck her hands through the bars, candelabra near her. She grabbed his hands and realized he was worse for wear.

“Papa! I've been worried!” She exclaimed. “Oh, and you're sick! Let me find a way to get you out!” 

“No, Marinette! Runaway or it will find you!” Her papa demanded.

“What do you mean? Who will find me?”

“The beast!”

“The what?”

Just then, the fire from the candelabra went out. Marinette turned around to see a shadow fly by. She sat back on her rear and looked around. She saw the shadow fade into another, and a growl emitted from it. Marinette looked at it with wide eyes.

“Who are you? Why do you have my father locked up?” She inquired. 

“He trespassed and stole from me.” The shadow said in a male voice. 

“What did he steal?” Marinette questioned. “He’s sick, and needs help!”

“He stole a rose from my garden. If he wanted to leave, then he should not have become a thief.” The man replied in a sardonic voice. 

“Then let me take his place!” Mari pleaded to the unknown man. “Please! He needs help or he will die!” 

To Tom’s horror, the beast that put him in the cell agreed and threw him out. He used magic to make sure he would not come back. Tom saw the look on his daughter’s face as she saw the beast. He mistook her surprise for fear. Tom never got to say goodbye to his daughter, just like he never got to say goodbye to his wife. He cried on the way home and tried to get help for his daughter. He never got any.

Marinette sobbed as she laid in her new bed. The beast had been kind enough to let her have a bedroom, instead of staying in the cell her father had been forced to inhabit. She wrapped herself in the covers, as a new wave of sorrow enveloped her. 

“Now, now, dear. It will be alright. The master is not nearly as bad as he seems.” A high-pitched female voice reassured her. 

Marinette stilled, and sat up, looking for the voice. When she didn’t see anyone, she called out to it. “H-hello? Who’s there?” 

To the dark-haired girl's surprise, the wardrobe opened up to reveal a face. “Hi!” It exclaimed, smiling. “My name is Tikki!” 

“W-what? When? How?” The girl asked, gobsmacked. Her blue eyes were widened once again, as she looked toward the enchanted wardrobe. 

“That’s no concern right now,” Tikki answers deceptively. “What matters is that you give the Master a chance. He isn’t as bad once you get to know him. The staff in this place is on your side, so I wouldn’t worry too much!” 

“Okay… but who are the staff?”

It was after Marinette asked that question that a knock sounded on the door. She opened the door to reveal some more enchanted amenities. Once again there was the candelabra, along with a pillow, cloak, sword, and teapot. 

The pillow was a dark grey color, almost black. It had yellow seams and had a red pillowcase on it. The clock was dark wood, with a red and blue inside. The hands in the clock resembled a large smile. The sword was a silver color, with a red hilt. It had a smokey quartz gem in the hilt. The teapot was sophisticated, as the pattern seemed to form a bowtie on it. There was a handlebar mustache on it as well, where Marinette assumed the face would show up. As she looked, she could not see a face on any of them.

She opened the door wider, as she informed them she already knew of their magical abilities. As she finished her sentence, all of them formed faces. They mostly had blue eyes, like her, all in different shades. The sword had green eyes, as green as freshly cut grass. Marinette could never give them a description that fit them properly. One pair was bluer than the sky, bright and excited. One was like looking up through the water to light, with the curiousness of the ocean in which it resembled. Another was as wise as a blue diamond, hardened with pressure and dusty with age. The final pair of eyes were artic blue, with a light in them that resembled playful mirth. 

“Hi! My name’s Jon!” The clock cried out. “You must be the girl! What’s your name?”

“Je m’appelle Marinette,” The girl replied. “Who are all you guys?” 

“Good evening Mistress Marinette. My name is Alfred Pennyworth. I am the butler of this place. The candelabra is Master Dick, and the pillow is Master Timothy. They are Master Damian’s brothers.” The teapot explains. 

“Damian? Is he the one that…” Marinette started.

“Yep, that's him!” Dick replied. “He’s quite the prickly fellow.” 

“O-oh. His name is Damian?” Marinette asked, sitting down on her knees. When she got nods, she continued. “Could you tell me about him?”

“No, I think that is for you to try and figure out on your own. Learn who he is on your own. Create your own opinion of Damian.” Tim replied, cutting off Dick and Jon.

“You're right, it wouldn’t be fair to judge him off of other’s opinions. It is always best to learn on your own.” She received sounds of approval, and then Alfred replied to her. 

“Right you are, Mistress Marinette. Right you are.”

Damian came later to invite Marinette to dinner. While apprehensive, she agreed. When she opened the door, she was able to tell that Damian was feeling awkward. Either he was convinced to do it, or he didn’t know how to speak to her. Maybe both, considering how he seemed to refuse to look in her eyes for long. 

Damian had jade green eyes and black fur. Even though there was a lot of fur covering him, it was all sleek and shiny, and none of it matted. He wore a forest green vest, making his eyes pop. He wore a white tunic and grey pants. The pants were torn at the bottom, frayed at the ends. It was that way to make room for his large paws, which clacked on the floors as they walked towards the dining room. 

He led Marinette into the dining room, where there were all sorts of food placed there. She saw turkey, and potatoes, bread, and more she did not even know the name of! She sat down at one end of the table, and Damian sat at the other. Together, they feasted. The atmosphere was awkward, and Marinette did not know how to lighten it up. So, she stayed in silence and ate her food. 

“There are a few rules you must follow in the castle,” Damian started after a while. “First, do not go to the west wing. Everywhere else is okay. Second, you will come to meals with me, but the rest of your time is free. Third, you will not go back to your village. You are still a prisoner here, as you took your father’s place.”

Marinette nodded, and once again they were surrounded by silence. By the time dinner was done, she was eager to go back to her room. She thanked the beast and headed back up. By the time she got back to her room, it was already dark out. Marinette decided she would go to bed, and explore the castle tomorrow.

The next day, Marinette found herself exploring the inside. While wandering, she was pleased to find Plagg. Picking the black cat up, she continued on her journey. So far she had found a large number of bedrooms, studies, and bathrooms. She was starting to feel hungry and thought it was time for lunch. She tried to get back but found herself lost. 

Not wanting to miss a meal, as it was one of Damian’s rules, she tried to find her way back. However, the hallways of the castle turned itself into a maze, and she could not find anyone to help her. Her footsteps echoed around her, bouncing off the stone walls. She felt like she would never find her way out. 

She called out as she wandered, but nobody had responded. Marinette was getting worried at this point. What if she was unable to find her way? Would she starve to death? Would Damian get mad at her for getting lost? Marinette grew increasingly anxious as time went by. Minutes seemed like hours, as the seconds dragged on. 

Marinette eventually found her way to a torn-up wing. “I hope this is not the mysterious west wing Damian told me not to go to…” She thought as she wandered further in. She passed a torn-up painting of a man. He had dark black hair up in spikes, and a scowl on his face. He had the same green eyes as Damian, so Marinette could only assume it was the Damian she knew. 

She stepped further into the room to see a messy bed, more scratch marks, and a glowing rose. She went up to the rose and observed it. The rose was pink in color and wilting. There were some petals on the table the rose was floating on. There was a glass case, and It covered the rose. Marinette was about to take the case off when she was caught. 

“What are you doing here? GET OUT!!” Damian bellowed, roaring in her face. “AND DON’T COME BACK!”

“I won’t!” Marinette cried out, fleeing the room. 

Marinette ran out and saw some stairs. She fled out of the castle, and onto Nooroo. Not bothering to grab any of her things, as she did not think of it, she rode out of the castle. She fled deep into the forest, not caring about the freezing temperatures and snow surrounding her. She was scared, not wanting to face the terrifying wrath. She did not even mean to break the rules!

Nooroo ran over a frozen lake, breaking the ice in the process. It made a loud noise, alerting any animals to her presence. By the time she was able to get to the other side of the lake, wolves had surrounded her. She tried to outrun them, but Nooroo got scared and bucked her off. Marinette lay in the snow, surrounded by hungry wolves. Marinette had no idea what to do.

As the wolves pounced, something got in the way. Looking up, Marinette saw Damian throwing the wolves away from them. He looked back, as if to look for any serious injury, then looked back. He continued fighting the wolves. 

——————

Damian hissed as Marinette tended to his wound. Damian had gained a large gash in his arm from a wolf biting him. Luckily, it wasn’t too serious, and it just needed to be cleaned before bandaging. That didn’t mean Damian accepted the help.

“Oh shush you, big baby,” Marinette chided. “It’s almost done, just a bit more, okay?”

Damian scoffed and looked away. His face contorted into a scowl, which Marinette found funny. She giggled, causing Damian to look back at her. 

“You're pouting.” Marinette pointed out.

“Am not.” Damian retorted.

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“You are!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“See? You even agreed!” 

“Tt- well played, Angel.”

“Thank you… wait, ANGEL?” Marinette replied, blushing.

“Yes.”

“Oh… what does that make you? A demon? Cause I am no angel.”

“I beg to differ on the angel comment.”

“Then beg.”

“Sassy today, are we?”

“Meh, not really.” Marinette started, then continued. “Hey, sorry about going into the West Wing… I didn’t mean to. I got lost exploring the castle.”

Damian looked over surprised, then his face softened. “Oh… I was… unaware. I must apologize for my actions as well. I jumped to conclusions, and it was wrong how I treated you. You are a guest, after all.”

“Oh really? I thought I was your prisoner?” Marinette inquired.

“No, not anymore. You are a guest.” Damian corrected. 

A guest. Marinette liked the sound of that.

For the next month, Damian and Marinette got closer and closer. They would read together, explore the castle, and Damian even tried his hand in cooking with Marinette. To the cursed staff and family, the castle seemed brighter the longer Mari resided in it. It was after that fateful day with the wolves and West Wing that Damian started smiling, and even laughing, more and more. It made the cursed furnishings happy to see Damian find happiness in someone else. 

“Here, I have a surprise for you,” Damian told Marinette. “But first, you have to close your eyes.”

Marinette quickly agreed and closed her eyes. As a precaution, Damian put his paws over her eyes as well. He then led her through the castle to a door. He removed his hands and told her to stay still while he opened the door. He then led the woman through the door as well. He placed her in the middle of the room, then let her open her eyes, to reveal a huge library all around her. 

“Oh!” Marinette gasped. “Damian! Look at all these books!” 

“They are all yours. As well as the sewing room next door. That way, you can read and make clothes like you enjoy doing.” 

“Oh thank you, Damian!” Marinette cried out. “You’re too kind!”

After that, the two kept trying to surprise each other with gifts. Marinette would make Damian clothes, and he would teach her something new. Sometimes, they would even dance with each other in the ballroom. Every night, they would sit next to the fireplace and read. The two were falling in love, something everyone noticed, except for the two.

The last gift Damian gave her was a magic mirror. Marinette had admitted that she missed her father, and so Damian showed it to her. Unfortunately, Tom Dupain was sick in bed again. With no one there to take care of him, Marinette asked if she could help her ill father. Gifting the mirror to the girl, he watched as she rode off in the distance on Nooroo. 

He came back down, saddened by her departure. His family came up to him and demanded where she went. He gave the truth.

“I set her free so she could help her sickly father. She most likely will not be coming back.”

\----

Meanwhile, Marinette had made it home and went to tend to her father. Lila, one of the bimbos, saw her return. She ran away and told others of Marinette’s return. The villagers gathered around the house to question the dark-haired girl. Adrien was given the honor of knocking on the door, then stood back.

“Hello?” Marinette asked as she opened her door. “Oh, Adrien. What do you need?” 

“Well, my lady,” Adrien asked, with a nickname that Marinette detested. “We say you came back and wanted to hear about where you were!”

“I am not forced to tell you about my own life, Adrien.” Marinette told him dryly. 

It was then that Tom Dupain appeared. “I told all of you that she was trapped in a castle by a monster!”

“Damian is not a monster Papa! He was just misunderstood!” Marinette defended.

“Damian? That- that thing had a name?” Tom cried out while the villagers muttered about there were too crazies now. 

“Princess,” Adrien said, before being cut off by Marinette, telling him not to call her that. He paused then continued. “Princess, do you have any proof that… this beast… exists?”

“As if I would tell you!” Marinette cried out.

“If that is how you want to be, then fine. Andre!”

Marinette was aghast. They were going to lock up her and her father? Andre Bourgeois was a corrupt man. He owned the insane asylum nearby and would lock anyone up for money, even if they were not insane. It was clear what the villagers were trying to do. To save her father, she rushed back inside and grabbed the magical mirror. She rushed back outside. 

“Show me, Damian!” She called out. The mirror glowed and showed Damian just staring out into the distance. She turned the mirror around and showed the man. Some of the women screamed, and children cried. The men seemed shocked, and then immediately protective.

“Men!” Cried Adrien. “There is a beast among us! A beast who will eat your young, kill your wives! We must slay it!”

There were cries of agreement among the crowd. 

“No! He’s not like that!” Marinette yelled, to no avail.

The villagers locked Marinette and her father in a locked carriage, where they would be let out later, once the beast was vanquished. Marinette fought as much as she could, but it was no use. They were locked in from the inside. Marinette came up with an idea, but she knew that she would have to wait until the villagers were gone to go through with it. She settled for pacing and coming up with more ideas. She knew that she could catch up and surpass quickly if she took Nooroo. The village did not have enough horses for all the men. 

Eventually, there were no villagers in sight. The women and children were in their houses, most-likely curled up in fear. The men had gone to find Damian. Marinette grabbed some bobby pins from her hair and picked the lock. It clicked open, and Marinette quickly climbed out of the carriage. She ran to Nooroo, demanding that Tom go to the house and stay there. She leaped onto the horse and fled off into the distance. 

By the time she arrived back at the castle. Fighting had already started. Enchanted furniture was fighting the men, and it appeared they were winning. Assured that the fight would go their way, and not seeing Adrien, Marinette headed to the west wing. On her way, she grabbed a sword from a knight statue, in case she needed it. She passed the rose and looked out at the window just to see Damian and Adrien fall off the balcony.

“Damian!” Marinette cried out. She ran out to see the two men battling on the rooftop. Grabbing the rose to protect it, Marinette climbed up onto the railing. Using a torn curtain, Marinette slid down onto the uneven roof. Rose tucked into her apron, and sword in her hand, Marinette was ready to go against Adrien. 

“Adrien! Let Damian go!” She yelled. Damian and Adrien stopped for a moment before returning to the fight.

“The beast must be vanquished!” Adrien yelled. “Then, you’ll marry me!”

“I will never marry you, Adrien! Never in a million years!” Marinette rebutted. However, it only seemed to spur the boys on. 

Adrien decked Damian in the eye with a punch, while Damian was aiming for the neck. Winded, Adrien decided to use a weapon. Pulling a knife out, he stabbed Damian in the abdomen. Damian cried out in pain while Adrien up, leaving the knife. Angered, Marinette rushed in. 

Damian slid down the roof and onto another balcony while Marinette attacked. She sliced, jabbed, and cut at Adrien with all the power she could muster. She wanted to see Adrien in pain. By now, Adrien was holding his forearm, where a deep cut was. Covering his forearm, Adrien left his chest open to attack. With no regret, Marinette plunged the sword into Adrien’s heart, ending the battle. For good measure, Marinette kicked Adrien in his crotch. 

Fleeing to Damian’s side, Marinette let herself cry. “Damian, stay with me! You can’t leave me!” 

“I’m sorry…” Damian replied, drowsy. The pain and blood loss addling his brain. 

“No! Damian!” Marinette cried out. “I LOVE YOU!”

Marinette rested her head onto Damian’s chest, crying. She did not notice when the rose in her apron disintegrated into sparkles. She did notice, however, when the sparkles started spreading over Damian, making him glow in bright pink light. She backed away slightly as Damian started to levitate, still in the light. 

When the light died down, there was a man there. He had tan skin, black hair, and a chiseled jaw. He had defined muscle and a broad chest. That did not matter to Marinette though. She saw the same green eyes on the man and knew it was Damian. 

Damian looked at his hands in surprise, surprised to see them once again human. He looked up at Marinette.

“Marinette?” He asked.

“Damian?” She replied.

They both rushed together and embraced. They pulled apart only to come back in a tender kiss. They broke apart laughing in excitement.

“You broke the curse!” Damian cried out.

“The curse? What curse?” Marinette asked, only for it to be explained. Damian had shut out a woman seeking shelter because one of his family members was sick. Instead of explaining it to the woman, he had just told her no rudely. The woman tried to give him a rose, but Damian would not submit. He did not want to see the old lady sick. When the woman turned out to be a sorcerer, Damian tried to explain, but was cursed. His family and servants were turned into enchanted furniture, and him, an ugly beast. The only way to break the curse was for someone to fall in love with Damian. 

They walked back to the castle entrance, to see celebrations. People Marinette didn’t recognize were hugging each other and crying. The villagers were all gone. All that was left was the staff and family of Damian. 

“Damian!” Cried out a tall man with black hair. He opened his eyes, and Marinette recognized the man as Dick, Damian’s older brother. “The curse is lifted!”

“Really? I wasn’t aware,” Damian replied dryly, with a smirk. “Where’s father and the others?”

“Right here,” An older version of Damian with blue eyes replied. “Good job, kiddo.”

“I am not a child!” Damian replied, exasperated. 

“No, you are not,” Marinette replied, squeezing his hand. “No, you are not.”


End file.
